Band-cutter and feeder.



No. 869,113: PATENTED OCT. 22.1907;

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BAND CUTTER AND FEEDER.

APPLIOATIQK FILED 001. 3, 1906.

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7 0 9 Z .2 m G 0 D E T N E T A P R U R vT A W cm 1 9 6 8 m N BAND CUTTER AND FEEDER.

APPLICATION PILED OOT. 3, 1906,

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No. 869,113. PATENTED OUT. 22. '1907.

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BAND CUTTER AND FEEDER. APPLICATION FILED 00123, 1906.

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UNITED STATES WILLIAM A. TRUE, OF NATOMA, KANSAS.

BAND-CUTTER AND FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed October 3, 1906- Serial No. 337.211.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. TRUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Natoma, in the county of Osborne and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Band-Gutters and Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in band cutters and feeders for threshing machines, and the invention has for its object an improved construction of machine of this character which, by the use of an improved arrangement of rotary band knives and vibratory knives, together with straw forks or picks to force the grain against the cutting knivcs,will feed the grain properly to the threshing machine without any jerking motion of the feeder or slugging of the cylinder, the invention embodying an automatic governor mechanism which can be readily adjusted so that the machine will feed at any desired speed;

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l. is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of my improved band cutter and feeder; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is also a side elevation but looking from the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the rotary band knives at the receiving end of the casing, the blades and shaft of said knife being shown detached from each other, but in u rtaposition; Fig. 6 is a sectional and assembled view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 5, the section being taken on the line of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation of one of the straw hooks; Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the belt tighteners hereinafter specifically described; and, Fig. 9 is a'detail perspective view of the set of straw picking fingers and the bars which carry them.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

At the receiving end of the framework or casing l a transversely extending shaft 2 is mounted, and upon this shaft is a plurality of rotary band knives 3 spaced from each other in transversel y extending series. Each of the knives 3 embodies a plurality of pairs of blades 1, and the complemcntal members of each pair are provided respectively with end recesses 5 and 6 adapted to embrace the shaft, and with hooks 7 adapted to engage slots 8 in the opposite blade, so as to detachably connect the blades together upon the shaft.

At both sides of the casing 1 at the receiving end thereof, I provide automatic grain hooks 9 adapted to pull the grain in that hangs over the side of the conveyor or carrier, and these grain hooks 9' are secured to straps 10 encircling eccentrics 11 on the shaft 2. At one end, each of the hooks 9 is pivotally connected to a link 12 suspended from a bracket 13 on the inside of the casing, as best shown in the longitudinal sectional view. By this means, as the shaft 2 turns, the grain hook 9 will receive an oscillating or vibrating motion, so as to pull the grain in that hangs over the side of the carrier.

14 designates the carrier which is in the form of an endless apron, and 15 designates one supporting roller for said apron, said roller being mounted upon a shaft 16 journalcd in brackets on posts of the casing 1. A sprocket wheel 17 is secured upon the shaft of the roller 15 and receives its motion by means presently hereinafter described.

As the grain passes the rotary band knives 3, it is caught by the strawpicking fingers 18 which are secured to and project downwardly from longitudinally extending bars suspended from and actuated by cranked shafts 19 extending transversely of the casing and mounted in suitable boXings 20, as shown. Underneath the straw picking fingers 18 is the grain pan 21 which is suspended for a vibratory motion by means of hangers 22 secured at their upper ends to the brackets 23 on the outer sides of the casing 1. The grain pan 21 is provided with a series of longitudinally extending and transversely spaced fish-backs or toothed bars set on edge, the same being designated 24, and between said bars, the grain pan is provided with a preferably square shaft 25 upon which a series of slanting and vibratory knives 26 are secured, the knives alternating with the fish-backs. The grain pan 21 receives its motion by means of a pitman 27 which is secured thereto and which is also operativ ely connected to the eccentrio 28 of a shaft 29 mounted in the hangers 30 at the lower front end of the framework or casing 1.

As the grain passes the rotary band knives 3, it is engaged by the straw picking fingers 18 which. force it against the knives 26 and the latter help to tear the straw to pieces so as to distribute the same evenly into the threshing cylinder. The knives 26 not only serve to assist in cutting the bands in the bound grain, while they also cut the matted and tangled headed grain,

and also shake the grain up thoroughly from the bottom, so that the fish-backs 24 of the grain pan will deliver the grain evenly into the threshing cylinder, thereby preventing any slugging and jerking of the machinery.

In order to drive the various parts of the machinery, the following mechanism is utilized. The main drive shaft 2 is provided with the main drive belt wheel 32 over which the main belt 33 travels, said belt receiving its motion from the threshing machine and adapted to run the entire band cutter and feeder. Said belt may be provided with a tension device or roller 34 which works on the small shaft extending outwardly from the bracket 35 secured to the casing 1. The lug 36 is tightened to the small shaft 37 by means of a set screw 38. 39 designates a spring which starts at the upper left hand corner of the frame of the tension or tightening roller 34 and rests firmly against the corner of the frame 39 and passes downwardly to the shaft 37. Itthence goes over the shaft 37 and passes around under it and then back again and finally under the side lug 36 and almost to the top of the frame 39. The spring then crosses over the lug 36 and back to the shaft encircling it several times and finally resting firmly against the underside of the frame 39 so as to complete the tension means for the tightening roller 34. On the drive shaft 2 there is also mounted a band wheel 40 over which the belt 41 passes. This band also passes around the pulley 42 on the shaft 29 which drives the vibrating grain pan 21, and thence the belt passes over the pulley 43 which is keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to one of the crank shafts 39 that actuate the vibratory grain picking fingers 18. The belt 41 then passes underneath the tightener 44 and back over the band wheel 40. The tightener 44 is an idler which is journaled within a bracket 45 pivotally mounted on one of the sills of the casing l and held at the proper tension by means of a hand rod 46 which is secured to said bracket and provided with a series of notches, any one of which may be caused to receive a locking pin- 47 on the casing. At the opposite side of the machine, the main drive shaft 2 carries a spur pinion 48 which meshes with a similar but larger gear wheel 49mounted on theshaft 50. On the shaft 50 is a sprocket wheel 51 which is connected by a chain 52 to the sprocket wheel 17 on the shaft 16. This latter shaft drives the grain carrier 14. The sprocket 51 is loose on the shaft 50 and may be coupled thereto by means of the oppositelydisposed clutches 53 adapted for frictional engagement with the rim of the gear wheel 49.

Upon the main drive shaft 2 is keyed or otherwise secured a governor frame embodying a series of radial arms 54 which carry spring retracted rods 55 having friction shoes 56 at their outer ends and which also carry weighted governor arms 57. These arms 57 are adapted to swing outwardly by centrifugal force and press against spring retracted rods 55 so as to force the friction blocks 56 into engagement with rim of the wheel 57. The coil springs of the rods 55 may be adjusted at their inner ends with set nuts 58, thereby making the governor a double adjustable governor.

It is to be understood that the gear wheel or pinion 48 is on the rear side of the governor wheel 57 and that it has a square shoulder on one hub adapted to fit in a groove in the hub and the governor wheel 57. The weights of the arms 57 and the jamb nuts or set nuts 58 of the rods 55 may be adjusted according to the speed required, and hence as the speed runs up, the weights will pull the governor arms outwardly and push the spring retracted rods 55 outwardly so as to frictionally engage the blocks 56 with the rim of the wheel 57 011 the other hand, when the speed runs down below the normal or regular threshing speed, it is obvious that the friction blocks 56 will be disengaged from the wheel 57, until the speed again reaches the normal point. By this means, the feeding of the grain is automatically controlled as well as the movements of the other parts so that the grain will be properly fed in the threshing cylinder and prevent any jerking motion of the feeder, or slugging of the cylinder.

59 designates a sector which is mounted at one side of the casing. On this works a hand controlled lever (30 which is provided with the usual hand retracted detent and the express purpose of the lever 60 is to provide means so that the clutches 53 may be uncoupled manually to stop the feed at anytime. Ilence, if a pitch fork or any article should'by accident get into the feeder the feed may be stopped until the fork or article can be removed, before it reaches any portion of the machinery to do any damage.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a hand cutter and feeder, the combination of a casing. means at one end of the cnsi g for carryinggrain into the same, means within the cm. j for feeding the grain through the casing. and a 'taling the grain, such last named means including grain picking fingers and a grain pan. and means for actuating the same and :1 series of rotary hand knives mounted at the receiving end of the casing, a shnft upon which said knives are mounted. means for rotating said shaft. said knives embodying blades arranged in pairs and the complemental blades of each pair having end recesses by which they are adapted to embrace the shaft and with inter-engaging hooks and slots. as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a band cutter and feeder. the combination of :1 casing, a series of rotary band knives mounted in said casing. a pair of transversely extending crank shafts journaled in the casing in the rear of rid knivesv longitudinally ex tending bars secured to the cranks of said shafts and provided with depending grain picking fingers. at grain pun mounted to vibrate underneath said fingers and provided with a series of tishbacks and vibr tory knives arranged alternately. a carrier ndnpted to pas the grain into the casing. a drive shaft upon which the rotary band cutters are mounted, an operative driving connection between the said drive shaft, the grain carrier, the grain pan, and one crank shaft. governor mechanism adapted to control the speed of said parts, and manual means for throwing the feeder out of gear at the will of the operator.

WlLLIAM A. TRUE. [n s.]

Witnesses l'i. KAn'rmi.

A. M. JOIIXSHX. 

